Means for molding monttkents and the like from plastic material



April 14, 1925. wgmw J. E. COCHRAN MEANS FOR MOLDING MONUMENTS AND THE LIKE FROM PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Sept. 17-. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 W/ll gwuan io'o 106391721 gaciwmw/a J. E. COCHRAN MEANS FOR MOLDING MONUMENTS AND THE LIKE FROM PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Sept. 17, 1924 S Sheets-Sheet 2 V gwuawtoz,

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J. E. COCK-IRAN MEANS FOR MOLDING MONUMENTS AND THE LIKE FROM PLASTIC MATERIAL Filed Sept. 17. 1924 3 Sheds-Sheet 5 Patented *pr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH It. COCHBAH, OI" CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ELLIS 'I'.

CRAWFORD, 0F. CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

MEANS FOR HOLDING IONUIENTB THE LIKE FROM PLASTIC IIATEBIAL.

Application filed september 17, 19.24. serial No. 738,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L-Josnrn E. Coonnan, a citizen of the United States,, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, having invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Molding Monuments and the like from Plastic Material, of which the following is a specification. i 1

This invention relates to means for molding monuments and the like from plastic material. The invention comprises a flat base plate for sup orting the mold, a bottom plate compose of type molds and spacfill ing members and an ornamental member which extends at the sides of the type membets and may partially or completely close the same, these molds and members bein separable, so that the type may be change as desired, and various ornamental designs may be employed. The mold also comprises side pieces which rest upon the bottom plate and end pieces which are detachably connected to the side pieces, and within the mold formed by the side and end pieces and the bottom plate is preferably placed.

a head piece to form the top of the'monument. When the plastic material is placed in the mold, the type and ornamental design on the bottom plate fo'rm printed charactors an an ornamental design or border on the face of the monument, either in intaglio or in relief, according tothe design of the type and of the ornamental im ression member. After the plastic materia has been tamped into the mold a top plate or cover is secured to the side and,end pieces and the mold and the plastic monument contained therein is then raised to an upright position by a lever which is hinged to the base plate and extends beneath the com posite bottom plate of the mold, and'which normally lies below or flush with the upper surface of, the base plate. After the mold has been raised to the upright position, it is inverted and removed f-romthe base plate. After its removal from the base plate the composite bottom plate of the mold, which includes the type and ornamental design and spacing members, may be stripped from the monument, and the face of the monument, bearing the impressions of the type and ornamental designs, will then be exand spacing members shown in posed to the,,air so that it may dry and become set. The monument remains encased in the side and and boards and the part that was the top plate of the mold,

until it has set sufficiently to be handled,

when these parts of the mold may be re: moved for further use. In the meantime, the parts composing the bottom plate, in-. eluding theornamental design, may be replaced on the base'plate of the mold, with other side and end pieces, and with such Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. I; FFig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of ig. 4 is a perspective view of the ornamerliotlal mold part of the bottom plate of the Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a mold for forming printed characters and an ornamental border in intaglio in the monument;

Fig. 6, is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 ss Fig. 8 isa plan view of a molding device showing a modified form of mold for mold, ing designs and printed characters in intaglio; I

Fig. 9 is-a section on. the line 9-9 of Fig. 8

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a' modified form of mold for molding designs and printed characters in relief;

' Fig. '11 is a section on the line li -11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the type i Fig. 10;

is a section on the line 7-7 of and r Fig. 13 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the ornamental mold board of the mold shown in Fig. 10.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive of the drawing a indicates a fiat plate constituting the base plate of the mold; 1') indicates a composite bottom plate for forming characters and designs on the frontside of the monument and above this bottom plate is arranged a frame c comprising side pieces 1 and 2 which rest upon the bottom plate and end pieces 3 and l which are detachably secured to the side pieces. \Yithin the frame 0 is a head piece 5 designed .to'give a suitable form to the top of the monument. A lever (1, shown in til e'rfonn of .a bail, is pivoted at 6 and lies in grooves 7 extending longitudinally of the base, so that the bail lies flush with or below the surface of the base plate and the bottom plate'is adapted to lie directly upon the base plate and above the lever as shown in the drawing. The ends of the yoke or lever are upwardly turned as shown at 7* and project above the surface of the base or bed plate. The bottom late in the figures referred to is compose of a U-shaped mold part 8. shown separately in Fig. 4, this mold part having on its upper surface an ornamental U-shape'd design 8" and having flanges 8" which projeet toward one another from its inner walls 8. Between these walls are arranged type molds 9 having suitable letters or characters thereon and the top surface S of the part 8 is flushwith the upper surfaces of these type molds. These type molds are arranged between the sides 8 of the ornamental mold .part, to t'orm words or numbcrsand these type molds are held together by screws 10 which extend through openings in the ornamental member and bear against the type n'iolds as shown in Fig, The lips or 8 upon the ornamental design slightly overlap the upper surfaces of the type molds. as shown in Fig. so as to prevent plastic material from entering the spaces between the type molds and the ornamental mold part. This avoids the necessity of having the type molds lit close against the inner sides 8* of the ornamental part. Spacing blocks or members 11 are arranged between the rows of type molds to space the lines of print apart aml the ends of these spacing members also project under the flanges 8" of the ornamental mold.

The side pieces 1 ot the mold rest directly upon the top of the ornamental mold part. at the outer sides of the ornamental design. as shown in the drawing. and make a tight fitting joint therewith. The end piece 3 is dctachably connected to the side pieces. by means of latches l2. and preferably the side pieces ext nd into mortices 13 in said end pie es. The end piece i'l does not rest upon the bottom piece. but extends downwardly to the base. plate as shown. so that when the mold is raised to the vertical position, the bottom piece will be supported by the end piece 3. The end piece 4 is also detaehably connected to the side pieces by suitable means such as the latches 14 which extend through tongues 15 which latter project from the end of the end piece 4 through slots in the side pieces, as shown. The head piece 5 rests upon the flat upper surface of the ornamental mold part 8 and it is suitablysecurcd to the end fiiece 431s by 'the screw 16. The upper surface of the head piece lies flush with the upper surface of the side and end pieces. I

For the purpose of holding the frame 0 firmly against the bottom piece, brackets 17 are provided and these are secured to the base by suitable means such as bolts 18. The brackets project over the side pieces and clamping screws 19 are provided in the brackets. these screws being adapted to bear upon the upper edges of the side pieces and force the side pieces firmly against the bottom plate. The brackets 17 may be swung outof the way when the mold is to be moved by loosening the bolts 18. To prevent any bulging of the side pieces. screws 20, extending through the brackets. may be pressed against the side'pieces.

In. operating the mold shown in Figs. 1 to 3. the composite bottom piece or plate b is put together and then laid upon the base plate over the lever, and the side and endpicccs are. placed in position. the end piece 3 abutting against the tip-turned projections T of the bail or lever. The plastic material is then placed in the mold and suitably tamped and made flush with the upper surface of the frame 0 and a cover or top piece is then placed over the upper edges of the mold and suitably secured to the side and end pieces. Assuming the. plastic material to be partly set. or of such nature that it will not tlow when tamped in the mold. after the top plate has been applied to the mold, the latter may be raised to its vertical position by lifting upwardly on the bail (I which bail will support and prevent displacement oi the composite bottom plate while the mold is being moved to the upright position. lly rocking the bail through an angle of 90 the feet of the bail are rocked downwardly into the slots of the l)1l. t piece and this will leave the mold and monument standing on the base piece. the end i of the mold resting directly upon the The mold is thcln tilted further basepiese.

It then can be so that it will be inverted.

-tuken from the base piece to a suitable drying room whcrc the composite bottom piece caii be removed. leaving the face of the monument exposed to the air for drying. Alter a suitable interval. when the monument l1:'.:-l)ctonic lirni enough to handle. the end and side pieces may be also removed.

As soon as the composite bottom piece has been removed it'may be used again in com. nection with other side and end pieces for molding another monument, suitable changes in the type molds being made, if desired. p

In Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive of the drawin the base piece a, frame a and hail or lever are the same as in the previously described figures and the head piece 5 is also the same. In these figures, however, the type molds 9 are raised characters adapted to mold letters in intaglio in the monument and the ornamental design or border piece 21 is alsode signed to produce an ornamental depression in the monument extending around the printed characters. The bottompiece b is therefore different from the bottom piece in the figures first described. In Figs. 5 to 7, the. bottom piece comprises a series of. boards of suitable widths and each preferably slightly greater in length than the width ot' the mold so that the ends will project beyond the sides of the mold. Thus the bottom piece in Fig. 5 is shown as comprising a wide board or plate are arranged type molds t), composing a word, as the name of an individual, and these type molds are held in place by blocks 23 which bear against the ends of the type molds and hold them together. Next to this series of type molds isa spacing memher 24 consistin of a board which extends entirely across t e mold and then follows a series of type molds which are held between the spacing member 24 and the similar spacing member 25, these type molds being pressed together by blocks '23. .Thus each series of ty emold's composing, a line will be separatet from the type molds in another line by spacing members. all of whichiare type high so that the surface of the bottemplate will be flush throughout, except for the extension of the type and the ornamental piecc above the surface of the plate. The ornamental mold part 21, in these views is made in one piece, of any suitable material and has one fiat side which rests directly upon the flat surface of the bottom piece. As the bottom piece is composed of a series of type molds with intervening spacing members, it is necessary to compress these members together so that the plastic material will not leak through. .Becauseof this relative movement of the parts in building up the back piece, lost motion connections are required between the ornamental mold part and the parts composing the back piece. "lhus one or more adjusting screws 26 extend through the end piece 4 and bear against the board several boards or parts composing the bottom piece will be forced together. The ornamental mold part is molded, preferably in one piece, from suitable material with 22 next to which 2:2 and by these screws the threaded studs 2'2 arranged at intervals and projecting from. the flat side .01? said pert. The spacing boards or parts 22, 24,25, eta,

in the bottom piece areprovided with slots 29 extending transversely thereof and adapted to receive the bolts or studs 27.

These slots permit the bolts to pass into the bottom piece in diil'erent positions of adjns -ment of its parts and these parts have counter-sunk openings 30 adapted to receivc clamping nuts 31, by tightening which the ornamental mold part may be secured to the bottom piece otter the various parts oi. the latter have been clamped together. It will be understood that access to'the nuts 31 is attained by raising the mold by means at the handle or lever d.

It will be evident that when the plastic material is placed in the mold and tamped, the ornamental mold part and the type molds will make impressions in the face of the monument. The anethod of handling the monument after-it has been molded and encased by a top cover is the same. as that. described in connection with the previous figures. When the mold has been removed and takcn to the drying room or compartment, the bottom piece with the attached ornamental mold part may be removed-by tapping on the laterally projecting ends of the mold part of the bottom piece.

- Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the base plate a and the lever are the same'as in previously described figures, and'the frame 0 is si'ibst-antially the same. The bottom plate in Figs. 8 and 9 iscomposed out the two flat parts 32 and 33 which may. be considered spacing members, and between these are arranged the separable type molds 34 held in place by said spacing members and by blocks 35 and 236 which tit between the spacing members and against the ends of the series of type molds. The parts 32, 33. HS'aud 36 are ty 'ic-bigh so that their surfaces are flush with the bodies of the. type molds. The ornamental moid part, in this illustration. comprises a raised wreath 37 which encircles the type molds. this wreath has a flat side which rests directly upon the fiat surface of the bottom plate and it may be secured permanently to one of the spacing members. as for instance the member 32; but it is adiustably connected to the other spacing iber for the reason. that when'the spacii a l embers are pressed inward to grip the ifi e there is a. relative movement between said members requiring a. lost motibn ci'n'mection between the monlr ment and) at least one at said members. As shown in tl. dravin the orn mental wreath is formed with studs itiwhich 1 as through su-ital'iie cpenin s in the spacing board 32 and them sccmed to said board by nuts 2h: l in conntersnnlt openings in the b ar studs or.

will

the ornamental wreath project into the transverse slots in the spacing board 33 and these studs are secured by nuts 41 countersunk into the board '33. Clamping screws 42 extend through one of the end parts of the mold and bear against the plate 32. and by tightening these screws the parts will be clamped together. The nuts on the studs may then be tightened to secure the ornament in place and prevent its movement when the plastic material is tamped into the mold.

The operation of molding a monument with the mold illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 is the same as in the previously described iigures.

In 10 the base plate, lever, and side and end boards of the mold are the same as in Fig. 8. The base plate of the mold, however, comprises a block 43 having a central opening rill which, in this instance, is semielliptical. This opening is adapted to receive the sephrable type molds and also adapted to receive a semi-elliptical spacing member l6 which fits into the opening 4: at one side of the line of typemolds, and also .spacing members -17 which fit between the ends of the line of type molds and wall of the opening 4%. One wall of the opening is straight, as shown at 44. The printed characters on the type molds, in this instance, are depressed in the mold, so as to form printed characters in relief on the monument and the block 43 base continuous ornamental depression 48 to mold a.

'ra sed ornamental design encircling the printed characters on the monument. The. block 41'?) has a lip or tlange 49 which is adapted to project inwardly over the spacing pieces 46 and 47 to prevent the plastic material from passing in between the spacing pieces and said block. The spacing pieces and the se ai'able type molds are inserted in the opening in the block through the rear side of the latter and the spacing pieces abut against the flange 49, as shown in Fig. ll.

fin adjusting screw :30 extends througl i the block 4-3 and is adapted to bear against hc spacing picce in. When this screw is 'gl ciir-=.l the line of type molds will be cd between the spacing piece 46 and lght wall a l" of the opening, which all insures the alincmcnt ot' the type at the center of the ornament. Other clamping screws (fl extend through the side oi" the mold and thrcuigh the orna mold block l3 to the opcning in the ad n'hcn these screws are tightened i comprcss the spacing pieces l7 against the ends of the line of type molds. Thus the type molds and spacing picccs will be lirmly held in the block 43. Qther spacing hoards "land 53 are shown between the block 4-3 and ends of the mold,

nsaaeao and adjusting screws 42, extending through one end of the mold against the block 52, are provided for clamping the block 43 between said latter spacing pieces.

The mold shown in Fig. 10 is used in the same way as the previously described figures and no detailed description of its operation is necessary.

It is to be noted that in all of the forms of molds shown, the side pieces of the mold frame rest upon the composite bottom plate, so that the latter need not be an exact size, to fit the frame, and, in practice, the bottom plate projects beyond the side pieces, so that this plate can be readily removed by tapping on the projecting parts.

Vhat I claim is:

1. Means for molding monuments and the like from plastic material comprising a baseplate, a bottom plate having patterns thereon and adapted to rest upon the base-plate, side and end pieces, the former adapted to rest upon the bottom plate, and alever hinged to the base-plate and extending beneath the bottom plate for rocking the mold to an upright position.

2. Means for molding monuments and the like from plastic material comprising a baseplate, a bottom plate having patterns thereon and adapted to rest upon the base-plate, side and end pieces, the former adapted to rest upon the bottom plate and the latter upon the base-plate, and a lever hinged to the base-plate and extending beneath the bottom plate for rocking the mold to an up right position.

3. Means for molding monuments and the like from plastic material comprising a baseplate, a bottom plate composed of separable type molds, an ornan'iental mold part and spacing members, said bottom plate adapted to rest upon the baseplate, side and end pieces, the former adapted to rest upon the bottom plate, and a lever hinged to the baseplate and extending beneath the bottom plate for rocking the mold to an upright position.

4.. Means for molding monuments and the,

like from plastic material comprising a baseplate, a bottom plate having patterns thereon and adapted to rest upon the base-plate, side and end pieces. the former adapted to rest upon the bottom plate, and a lever hinged near one of its ends to the base-plate and extending beneath the bottom plate, said lever having a part adjacent its pivotal point projecting above the base-plate and engaging one of the end pieces of the mold.

5. Means for molding monuments and the like from plastic matcrial comprising a baseplate having grooves ihcrcin, a bail pivoted at its ends to said plate and adapted to lie in said grooves, the end portions of said bail having projections adapted to extend above the surface of said plate, and mold having ism piste ndapbed to n aisa'mci comprising 3 i em (as and 2m 0mm w Engine cnmprising end Iv '5 i.

i 0:: ins isms plain and i cmmectsd to the and w i'ssa on the bottom piste adapted to base pinie and comprising msmbnrs and an ornapsri; szifitsnziing M", the sides 0f iis, means for clamping she iype s "memi)srs togsther and fin? ad ustm 1 spacing members i}? said maids, 4

members and said nmsmsninl mold pars $0- gather.

8. Means for mniding mnnumcnts and the i resfi upon he base pia'be and comprising typemiolds, spacing members and an 0rnamental mold part extending at the sides (if the type-molds and havin a inst-moion connection with ceigtsin (if t a spacing members.

9. Means for molding monuments and the like from plastic material comfn'ising a bass plate, a composite bottom plate adapted to rest upon the base plate and comprising type-molds, spacing members and an ornamental mold part extending at the sides of the type molds, and adjusting screws extending through the ornamental mold; part and adapted to clamp the type molds and th-erstc.

In testimony whereof 1' hereunto afiix my signature..

msnm E, OQCHRAN. 

